​​​As China is set to establish its first carbon emission trading system, and also the world’s would-be largest carbon market, Alibaba has released a social game to enhance mass awareness about environmental protection.

​Launched on the Alipay platform on August 27, 2016, the Ant Forest app has provided more than 450 million users with a comprehensive online "carbon account" to record their carbon footprints in daily activities.

Image: chinaz.com

Image: chinaz.com

​Users can record their carbon-saving behaviors on Ant Forest if they walk, travel by metro, pay utility fees online, shop online, and etc, which will be quantified by Alipay's pedometer function as "energy points"—— essential nutrients to help their digital trees grow and thrive. When the "energy" points reach the equivalent of 17.9 kg, a genuine tree will be planted in Alex, Inner Mongolia as Alipay promised.

Image: chinaz.com

​Chen Long, CSO of Ant Financial, said that as of January 2017, more than 1.1 million real trees have been planted by Ant Financial and selected social organizations, equal to an average reduction of 2,000 tons of carbon each day.

Image: chinaz.com

​​The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) released a report on China’s carbon market on February 17 and specifically analyzed Ant Forest, the world’s largest platform for gathering data on individuals' efforts to reduce their carbon footprints. The UNDP’s report said the Chinese platform has “a special significance in enhancing personal contribution to the global response to climate change”.

Image: chinaz.com

Ant Financial and the UN Environment Program (UNEP) launched the world’s first green digital financial alliance during the Davos World Economic Forum on January 19, 2017, with the aim of harnessing digital technology to promote financing that addresses global environmental challenges. The collaboration marked the UNEP's first joint venture with a Chinese company since it was established 45 years ago.

Details about how to plant a tree in Ant Forest in Alipay Image: fonow